Kodak Moments
by SevenForAllManKind
Summary: A bunch of Damon/Elena oneshots that take place throughout season 1.
1. The Worst Company

"Elena, it's spring break. Next year we're going to be seniors, and we'll have to go visit colleges!" Caroline gushed. "You can't skip out to hang out at home with Stefan, it's not fair to us!" Caroline had been trying to bribe me all afternoon. The junior class was having a huge party down by the falls - ironically the same place they hold the back to school party - and Caroline and Bonnie were begging me to go.

It wasn't that I had a huge aversion to the party. I just wasn't really...what? I didn't know what I wasn't. Ever since Stefan had reverted back to drinking human blood, I had been completely on edge. Maybe a party was what I needed, though I wasn't sure if Stefan would be able to go.

I looked up to see Caroline looking down at me with a concerned expression on her face. I realized that I had been completely spacing out.

"Sorry. Um...actually, I think I will come. You're right. You only get to be a junior on spring break once." I said with a grin. Caroline clapped her hands together as her face lit up with enthusiasm.

"Good! I will see you there!" Before I had the chance to say goodbye, Caroline had booked off in the opposite direction to make some sort of transportation arrangement. I shook my head at her happy go lucky nature and constant enthusiasm. I walked across the parking lot to my car. I opened the door and slid in to the drivers seat. As I drove away from school, I began to look forward to the party more and more.

"Hey, Damon. How's Stefan?" I asked with the phone cradled between my shoulder and my cheek. I was slicing up an apple and decided to check on Stefan.

"He's the same as the last time you called...twenty minutes ago. Honestly, Elena. He's going to be fine. It's Friday night, go out, do something!" His critical tone immediately put me on the defense.

"I do go out!" I protested. "I'm going to a celebrating spring break party tonight." I stated smugly. I heard scoffing on the other line. "Well, I have to go get ready, if you don't mind." I snapped, hanging up quickly. I threw my sliced up apple in a bowl and ran upstairs to get ready.

I took a long, hot shower and stood in my closet trying to decide what to wear. I hadn't gotten dressed up in way too long. I couldn't even think of what was appropriate to wear. I grabbed a pair of jeans and an embellished tank top, it would have to do. I did my hair and makeup and called Bonnie.

"Hey, I'm almost ready. When are you picking me up?" I asked.

"I'll be there in ten minutes." I could hear Bonnie's smile through the phone. She was just as excited as I was about going out, and she needed it about as much, too.

When I got to the party, I was disappointed to find that I was bored. Bonnie had immediately left to chat up some guy, and I was left standing awkwardly alone. Just when I thought about calling Jenna to see if she'd come pick me up, a familiar face appeared in front of me, with an arrogant grin to match.

"Damon, what are you doing here?" I said in an irritated tone, though I couldn't help but smile. He grinned back at me.

"Well, I heard there was a party, and I never could miss a good party." He said offhandedly. "Plus, I figured you could maybe use the company." He added in a softer tone. I laughed and hooked my arm through his.

"Get me a drink?"

"Absolutely." He guided me over to where the keg was located. I couldn't help but feel a little glad that he'd come. He was right, I had needed the company, and I had grown rather fond of Damon's witty repertoire. Much to what I assumed was Stefan's dismay, I had become relatively close to Damon. He was my friend, and only my friend. I thought of him in a purely platonic way. But, if that was the case, why did I feel so guilty about feeling so glad that he'd come to the party? My mind ridded itself of these guilt ridden thoughts and I focused on what I'd become set to do tonight. _Have fun._

With a drink in hand, a good friend on my arm, and no responsibility, I remembered what it felt like to be relaxed and carefree again. By the end of the night, I had achieved what I had come to the party to do: forget. I hadn't forgotten Stefan, but I had forgotten his recent downward spiral, I had forgotten witches and vampires, despite the fact that I spent the entire night with one. For one night, I was just Elena Gilbert again. And it felt good.


	2. Dealing

"Ugh, who cares?" A hurt look crossed my face. Just when I thought that Damon and I were getting somewhere, he went and made some comment that reminded me of what he was really like. "She left you. She sucks." I felt the hurt that was on my face turn to surprise, then compassion. So he did care.

"Damon..." I struggled to find the right words. "I have to find her. I _want_ to find her, even if she doesn't want to find me. It's like, I found out my entire childhood was a lie, and I just want to know who my real mother is." Despite the fact that he was so drunk he probably had no idea what I was saying, he wrinkled his forehead in confusion.

"Elena, just because you found out the woman who you thought was your mother wasn't your mother, doesn't mean that she loved you any less." He said, sobering up. "She's your mom. Nothing some tramp that abandoned you says or does will change that." I hadn't thought Damon possible of such sentimental, sensitive thoughts. My hands still on the buttons of his shirt, I smiled.

"You're right." I admitted.

"I'm always right." He deadpanned. I rolled my eyes and took my hands off his shirt as I finished the last button and stepped back.

"However, it doesn't change the fact that I want to meet her." I added. He looked displeased. I was surprised that he cared so much about my personal affairs.

"Well, obviously there's nothing I can say to change your mind, but if you need to talk about anything, and my brother is otherwise preoccupied, I'm here, I guess."

"Thanks, Damon. That means...a lot." I said, seriously. "And I'm sorry. About Katherine." I looked down, unsure as to how he would react to this change in subject. His eyes hardened, but his arrogant, cocky smile returned to his face.

"I'm dealing with it," He said with a smug look. "What do you think all the sorority girls and bourbon have been for?" He chuckled to himself.

"What?" I said, thoroughly confused. "Sorority girls...Damon what did you -" I was cut off by Stefan entering the room. "Oops." I heard Damon mutter, with a laugh.

"Elena, we're going to be late." Stefan said, with some mild panic evident in his voice.

"Stefan, are you all right?" I asked, seriously confused befuddled what had just taken place. "What is he talking about?"

"Don't worry about it." He ushered me towards the front door. "Damon," he called. "Make sure you're not in a complete state of inebriation for the auction...please?" His voice almost begged. All he got was a laugh from the living room, where even I could hear the clanking of the bourbon decanter.


	3. Fearless

Driving home from Georgia, Damon and I were listening to the radio, when a Taylor Swift song came on to the station we were listening to. I began to hum along and make faces to Damon, who was ridiculing me with his expression.

"What?" I demanded. "Everyone loves Taylor Swift." He scoffed.

"I wasn't contesting that. I was more thinking that I didn't see you as the type to listen to her music." He said, skeptical.

"I'm a seventeen year old girl. Of course I love Taylor Swift, her lyrics are catchy and super easy to relate to." I stopped to listen to the song for a moment. "See? Right there. She says, 'We're driving down the road, I wonder if you know, I'm trying so hard not to get caught up now.' Right there, she's obviously referring to when her vampire boyfriend's vampire brother kidnaps you and hauls you to Georgia against your will." Damon grinned at me.

"You forgot about the next part, 'But you're just so cool, run your hands through your hair, absentmindedly making me want you.' Because _ah-bviously_," He enunciated, mocking me. "She's referring to the ridiculous attraction that she feels for her vampire boyfriend's brother, who is extremely hot, chiseled, and appealing." He said, winking at himself in the rearview mirror. I couldn't help but admit to myself that it was partially true. This made me feel guilty and soured my mood.

"Could you be any more pigheaded?" I muttered rhetorically.

"Yes, but then I wouldn't be near as pretty to look at." He said with a stupid smile. I scowled at him and picked at the leftover nail polish on my thumb nail. We drove in silence for a little while longer until Damon felt the need to break it.

"We should write songs that people like you can relate to." Damon said. "We'd make millions."

"I'm sure," I said sarcastically. "All those girls dating vampires who have supremely irritating vampire brothers bent on flirting with you and making you as uncomfortable as possible all for the sake of an old grudge you hold against your brother. I'm sure it's incredibly common, that's why we haven't been put on Montel or Dr. Phil yet."

"Yet." Damon said, smiling still. Couldn't he get that I was irritated with him? Or did he just prefer to ignore everyone else's feelings but his own? I guess that's just who Damon was, though, and I had to accept that.

We exited off the freeway towards Mystic Falls. I was relieved that there was only an fifteen to twenty minutes left in our ride, tops. Damon turned the radio up, and, obviously disliking the song, frowned and turned it of. He reached over to my side of the car and popped open the glove compartment, removing a CD. He put the CD in and turned the volume dial up.

Taylor Swift entered my ears at a deafening volume. I laughed in spite of myself. "What?" Damon demanded. "Everyone loves Taylor Swift."


	4. Facade

"You should go. I got this." Damon said casually. Anger pulsed through me. Rage as I had never felt before.

"You _got _this? Like your picking up a check." I said, my voice rising. "This is someone's _life._" I could feel tears threatening to roll down my cheeks. His face stayed blank.

"To me, it _isn't _anything more than picking up a check." He said simply. "I don't care." Something inside of me snapped when he said that.

"Don't lie!" I nearly yelled. "You do care and you know it. You pretend that this is nothing, but it isn't. I know there's something inside of you that feels pity and regret." My hand snapped back to slap him, but he caught it before it could touch his face.

"You might not want to do that." He said threateningly. A frustrated scream came out of my mouth and I threw myself on him, punching, kicking, scratching, and slapping. He stood still and let me take my anger out on him. After a minute or so I broke down sobbing and crumpled to the grass. I sat there, sobbing in to my hands, not caring if Damon saw or not. After several minutes, he seemed to make some sort of decision and sat down next to me. He began awkwardly rubbing my back and making soothing sounds. "Shh, it's okay." He said. He seemed incredibly uncomfortable giving anyone any sort of solace, but at the same time, it seemed almost natural to him. So he _did_ have a heart.

I eventually cried myself out. I had cried for Vicki, Jeremy, Matt, and myself, and I was exhausted. With my face blotchy and swollen, I picked myself up out of the grass and turned to Damon, who had also risen.

"I want you to make Jeremy forget." I said, trying to make my voice as finite as possible. "I want you to compel him." I stated. Damon's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Vicki left town, and she's not coming back." My voice broke. "He's going to miss her, but he knows it's for the best." I took a shaky breath. "Go now. I want it done before I get home." His face threatened to challenge me, but he seemed to see something in my face that told him not to argue. He clenched his jaw.

"Fine." He picked up Vicki's body and disappeared with vampire speed. I made my way to my car, feeling fortunate that it was Halloween, thus not having to explain the bloodstains. I got in to my car and took deep breaths, trying to decide if I could drive. A few more tears escaped, but I figured that I was alright. I arrived home safely to see Stefan waiting for me on my porch.

"Elena..." Stefan said, when I had exited the car. Before he could say anything else, Damon jumped out of one of my second story windows and onto the ground below.

"It's done." Was all he said before disappearing. Stefan's brow furrowed.

"What was that all about?" He asked.

"Nothing. He's just cleaning up the mess he made." I said harshly. My voice gave away my feelings and Stefan pulled me in for a long hug. I didn't cry again, I had cried myself out earlier. I remembered the sympathy Damon had shown, however briefly, and couldn't help but wonder if he was more compassionate that he let on. Whatever the case, I _was _grateful to him for helping Jeremy, and I would always remember this good deed.


End file.
